


Under Her Spell

by Canariae



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Anxiety, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Loki (Marvel) Has Issues, Mythical Beings & Creatures, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Social Anxiety, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Witches, lots of fluff, reader is a witch
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-28
Updated: 2019-02-06
Packaged: 2019-05-14 20:43:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 10
Words: 15,053
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14776919
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Canariae/pseuds/Canariae
Summary: You were only suppose to watch the Avengers, not get involved. When a certain Trickster is hurt however though, how can you resist?





	1. Chapter 1

     The battle looked brutal from where you hid in the trees. The Avengers had been called in to handle a few enhanced monsters, or what they believed were a few. Turned out, they duplicated when you didn’t kill them properly. You spotted the new recruits almost instantly, the man who was known as the Winter Soldier was easy to pick out with his metal arm glistening in the sun. The God of Mischief and attacker of New York was even easier to spot. The god cursed, more so than you ever thought a Prince was capable of, as the enhanced he was fighting turned into two. You rolled your eyes, they weren’t picking up the clues as fast as they should have been. 

     You didn’t interfere, that was your rule, so why were you finding it so hard to stay out of this battle? You had been following the Avengers for a while now, picking up their habits and fighting skills, learning everything you could. You stayed off their radar however, not wanting to be found. The Black Widow took a hard hit and you winced as she hit the ground, the others rushing over to her side to help. 

     You sighed, maybe there would be a way to help without them knowing about you. Thinking for a moment, you could only think to attack from the trees, but they would trace that back to you quickly, especially if they assumed you were a threat. After Hawkeye took a rather terrible hit, you resigned to your plan. You had to hit the creatures in the eye, specifically, the right one. You summoned a bow and arrow, lining up a shot. Magic made it almost impossible to miss your target, so you didn’t need to spend too long aiming. Once you let go of the string, the arrow flew, missing Clint and hitting the creature in the eye, killing it. 

     You noticed Clint looked around, looking for the person who saved him, but you made sure to cover yourself amongst the leaves. He eventually had to give up and help the rest of the team. With your help, they made quick work of the enhanced and went home. You stayed in the tree a few moments longer, gathering your breath. You took an unnecessary risk today and you should have been more upset with yourself, instead you found yourself simply relieved the team had survived.

***

     The next time you watched the Avengers on the mission, it was a stealth operation. The bad guys weren’t supposed to know they were there. Your heartbeat quickened, even though you told yourself you wouldn’t help this time. You followed them closely, ensuring that they were all safe. A man almost got the jump on Captain America, but at the last minute, you materialized some marbles and he had a terribly uncoordinated fall. You smirked as the Captain watched in confusion as the man landed by his feet. He picked up a marble and looked around for the source, but you were already gone. 

     You watched from afar as the team gathered outside by the jet. The threat had been taken care of and it was time for them to leave, so why weren’t they? You settled in and listened, being able to hear them from a distance wasn’t a problem for you. 

     “I think we have a guardian angel” Steve commented, showing the team the marbles. He recounted his story and Clint told his. You cursed yourself, they were figuring it out sooner than you had hoped, maybe they were smarter than you thought. You didn’t stick around to listen to the end of the conversation, they would be safe now, so you left. 

***

     Over the next few weeks, you managed the same routine. Whenever the Avengers went out, there you were, watching and helping when you could. You were more careful this time, ensuring that you would not be seen. You also stayed clear of Loki, you knew he would be able to catch you if he really tried, his magic was stronger than yours. 

     You were getting more clever with your helping however, and even though it was a risk, you found yourself enjoying it. You would laugh from the trees as you summoned a clown to take down a bad guy. Or you would string them up with party balloons and leave them for the team to fine. Either way, now they were really getting suspicious, so you told yourself you were going to cool it for awhile, go back to simply watching. 

     That is until the team was over run. They should never have been put on this mission. The creatures they were fighting were too strong and there were too many. Sure, these one’s died when you killed them, and stayed dead, but there were so many. The team was split up, none of them together in one place so you needed to look for them one by one. Tony was easy, he was up in the air, you simply had to ensure that he didn’t see you. 

     First on your list was Clint, he seemed to be the more accident prone of the group. You had gotten there just in time to take down one of the creatures, killing it with a small knife and taking off before Clint could see you and ask questions. You found Natasha next, she didn’t look like she needed any help from you, so you moved on. Steve was doing well, but he kept calling out for Bucky, he was worried. Once you found Bucky, you were able to gently move one to the other, using your magic to change their direction when they weren't cooperating with your plan. You could tell they were confused by it, but happy when they found each other. 

     You avoided Thor, he was easy to spot when lightening came down from the ground and struck the creatures. You did not want to get in the way of that kind of power. You heard the Hulk roar in that same direction, you definitely weren't going anywhere near the green guy. 

     The rest of the team seemed to be holding their own, Scarlett Witch and Vision made a great team and you were no longer concerned about them. The Falcon flew overhead, you ducked quickly into the bushes to avoid being seen, holding your breath as if that would somehow help you. That’s when you heard it, struggles of a fight and a groan of pain. You were up in an instant, heading towards the sound, having a feeling deep down that you were about to regret your actions. 

     Once you got to the clearing, you saw that Loki was over run with the creatures and was no longer able to keep them at bay. One would attack, then the another, then another and so on. He looked bad, he needed help. However, to take on that many, there was no way you were going to sneak out of this, he was going to see you. You took a deep breath, weighing your options when another groan of pain brought you to reality. Loki was losing.

     He was down on one knee now, trying desperately to avoid being mauled to death. If he fell, it would be all over. So you took a deep breath, summoning power from deep within you and letting it out in a large flash out white light. You hoped the magic wouldn’t hurt Loki, it never did hurt good people, but the god of mischief had a complicated past that you weren’t entirely sure about. When the light died down, the enhanced creatures were gone, all that was left was Loki trying to see through the blinding light. You walked up to him, hand outstretched as he blinked away the haze. There was no way he would survive without getting those wounds looked at right away, but you couldn’t do it here, not with a battle still raging. You bent down, hand still reaching out for his, you needed him to take it so you said the only words that came to your mind. 

     “Come with me if you want to live”. 


	2. Chapter 2

                Loki writhed on the table as you tried to work, but every time you got half way through healing a wound, he would move, and you would have to start over again. Eventually you got fed up and put your fingers on his temple. You focused on your thoughts, willing the god to sleep. Soon he stopped, falling into a deep sleep. You sighed in relief, moving your fingers and getting back to work on his wounds.

                You maneuvered around his clothes as much as you could, but eventually you used magic to take them off. You hoped he wouldn’t be angry, the clothes were a mess anyway. You placed a towel over his manhood, trying not to look too long. He had quite the impressive package, but you didn’t want him to feel more violated than you were sure he already would.

                Once the wounds were healed, you noticed he was still running a fever. You summoned some cool clothes, put one on his forehead and the other on his chest, hoping it would help. You looked around at the tech you took off him, Starks comms was slightly broken, enough so they wouldn’t be able to track him. They would worry, you knew, so your tools and settled in to work.

                “Where am I?” Loki woke up with a start. You didn’t bother to look over as you were trying to make sure the comms would work again.

                “You’re safe” you told him simply. You groaned, trying to get the last part in place but it was giving you a hard time. Stark made his devices far too complicated than they had to be.

                “Did you undress me?” Was his next question. You tried not to blush, thinking back to his naked form. You shook the thought out of your head.

                “Yes, I was healing you and the clothes were in the way. I kept them off because you were running a fever and I didn’t have any other clothes for you” you told him. “Yes!” you cheered out, jumping up from your chair.

                “What are you doing?” Loki’s voice was close to your ear and you jumped around. Loki was still naked, no longer wearing even a towel.

                “I- ugh- I fixed your comms so the team could find you. There’s- ugh- a tracking device in it” you told him, trying not to look down. In fact, you were looking anywhere else that you could think of. He seemed to take great pleasure in your discomfort.

                “Why so shy little one, you already seen me naked, didn’t you?” He smirked, his hand came up to your chin and pulled your head and focus back to him. You took a deep breath, starring into his eyes, this was no how he was supposed to be reacting.

                “I tried not to look” was all you could say. Of course, you had, you couldn’t deny that but at least you could say that you tried to be decent.

                “Did you like what you saw” he moved closer to you and you backed up into the chair, falling back down. You hid your face in your hands, your blush was out of control now.

                “Can you please put on some pants?” You asked through your hands. You heard him laugh and reach out for your hands. He hauled you up to your feet and pressed you into the wall next to the chair. You couldn’t help but notice he was still naked.

                “I quite like watching you blush and squirm, little healer” he told you, bringing his hands up and cupping your cheek. Your breath caught in your throat as you tried to think of something to say, anything would do. Instead, your cheeks only for redder and this seemed to spur him on even more. You opened your mouth to say something but stopped as the door was kicked in and lightening struck the sky.

                “Brother, we’re here to rescue you!” Thor yelled as he stomped into your small house. You were sure you were going to die from embarrassment, not to mention that you just ruined your one rule, how much more could go wrong in a day?

                “Well, nice of you to rescue me from this little maiden. I was nearly defeated by her plump lips and soft skin” Loki smirked, trailing his hand down your cheek. He was enjoying this far too much.

                “Put on some clothes!” Tony barked as the other Avengers filed in, trying to fit in the small house. It also seemed as if they were confused on whether they should attack. Loki sighed, moved away from you and clothes shimmered into place over his body, finally!

                “You can’t possibly expect us to believe you were held captive by her” Thor insisted, motioning towards you. Were you supposed to be offended by that? You decided not, it was best to keep your mouth shut for the time being.

                “Of course not Thor, however she did save my life” Loki pointed out, sitting down on one of the chairs. You could see the confusion on all their faces as they turned to you. It was too much attention and you could feel yourself begin to panic. This was one of the very good reasons you did not want to meet the Avengers, you were simply better on your own.

                “You saved him?” Steve asked. Your breath was being to get rapid as you tried to calm your heart beat. You managed a quick nod, wanting to shrink into yourself. Steve nodded, but their eyes didn’t come off you. You began to see black dots, as your vision blurred. You were having a terrible panic attack, you could feel yourself fight the need to faint, but you were losing. Before you could tell them, what was happening, you fell to the floor, down for the count. Loki turned around, looking at you on the floor.

                “I hope you didn’t just kill the maiden who saved my life” he told them. Bruce ran over to where you now laid on the floor. He turned you around and checked your pulse.

                “She’s still alive, I think she just had a panic attack” Bruce told the others. Loki sighed and got up, moving Bruce aside and picking you up. The others looked at him like he was crazy.

                “What? We’re taking her back with us, aren’t we?” Loki asked, and Steve sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.

                “Yes, load her in the jet, we’re taking her back to the tower”.


	3. Chapter 3

     You woke up on a soft bed, but it didn’t feel right. The sheets were different, cooler and softer than what you were used to. Your eyes shot open when they realized you weren't in your own bed, memories flooded in as you looked around. You spotted Loki sitting on a chair next to the bed, his eyes never leaving you.  

     "Good, you're awake", his voice was calm and calculating. You wanted to jump away from him, but you stayed glued to the bed, your head still a little dizzy.  

     "What happened?" You asked, looking around for any signs of where you were. You assumed it was Stark Tower, but you had never actually been in the tower to confirm that's where you were.  

     "You passed out after the team arrived, they brought you back to the tower. I offered to let you stay in my room so I could guard you", that part confused you. Why was he guarding you, especially if you were in the tower, it was a safe area as far as you knew.  

     "Why do you have to guard me?" You asked timidly, unsure if you wanted the answer. He looked at you like you were stupid, you didn't appreciate that but said nothing for the time being.  

     "I owe you a life debt" he said, like it was the easier explanation in the world. You understood the concept, but surely you were brought to a safe location. He sighed when he realized it didn't explain everything as well as he had hoped. "You saved my life, now I owe you a debt. You will be under my care, my protection and my constant surveillance until such time should I arise that I can repay the debt" he explained. Well, that just seemed like nonsense to you.  

     "That seems a little extreme" you told him, you weren't sure you could deal with that. He already seemed quite annoyed with you.  

     "I will be your protector until one of us dies, its automatically bound by magic so we might as well get used to it" he snapped. You had heard about life debts before, but never experienced one, your lack of knowledge on the subject made you nervous. He paused for a moment as you rubbed your temples, trying to ease the building headache that he was starting. "What are you anyway?" He asked, no please or anything, his tone of voice was even rude.  

     "You could say please, you know" you replied, but he just starred at you. You sighed, "I'm a witch". He didn't seem overly impressed and simply nodded his head. You rolled your eyes and got up off the bed, as soon as you made for the door, he was following you. He grabbed your hip and turned you around, keeping you still with his hands.  

     "Where are you going?" He asked, his eyes looking down on you. His hand was digging deeper into your side, but it didn't hurt.  

     "Home" you told him, trying not to let yourself blush as you thought back to cabin and his naked form. Your brain kept betraying you though, as you thought about his muscles flexing underneath his shirt.  

     "Can't let you go, the team has a few questions for you" He said, then you were in a meeting room, surrounded by the Avengers with Loki's hand still on your hip. Steve cleared his throat and Loki moved a few inches away from you, letting his hand fall.  

     "How are you feeling?" Steve asked, sincerer than you had seen anyone be with you in a long time. In fact, you found yourself put off by it, why was he being so nice? 

     "Fine" you replied. You surveyed all the faces in the room, you knew who they all were but you were never this close to them before. You could pick out new details you hadn't seen before.  

     "Can you tell us your name?" Steve asked, still being more polite than anyone you had run into over most of your lifetime.

     "(Y/N)" you answer quietly.

     "You saved Loki's life, why?" Steve next question took you off guard. Loki had been part of the team for a while now and had done a lot of good. Even if he didn't, you weren't about to let a man, or god, die when you could do something about it.  

     "Because it needed saving?" You replied, earning a snicker from Thor and a scowl from Loki. Steve sighed, crossing his arms over his large chest.  

     "Alright, how did you do it?" Tony asked, cutting the pleasantries completely out. You weren't supposed to be here, you weren't supposed to tell them; but it wasn't looking like the choice was yours anymore.  

     "I'm a witch", you wanted to keep it simple, it seemed like the easier answer. They all shared a look, either of disbelief or annoyance, you couldn't tell.  

     "What were you doing in the battlefield, you could have gotten hurt" Steve started again, pushing Tony out of the way slightly.  

     "I heard a commotion while I was out for my walk, I went to see what it was and I stayed because I thought you might need some help. Turns out, I was right", it was a lie, but they couldn't seem to tell. Although, the glare that Loki was giving you made you nervous, he was called the God of Lies after all but you hoped he couldn’t tell.  

     "Okay, well we think it would be best if you stayed here for a while. We would like to study your powers, if you don't mind that is" he paused, you assumed to see if you would object, you didn't. "We have more than enough room for you and as Thor and Loki have explained, you are now under the protection of Loki so it would make sense to have the two of you under the same roof". You wanted to protest, but it didn't look like they were going to just let you leave.  

     "Fine" you sighed. Steve's face lit up as the others began to file out of the room.  

     "I will show you to your room" Steve offered. You followed him and Loki lazily followed you. Up some stairs and down a few hallways that all looked the same. You looked around for any identifying marks but found none. You were so focused on finding your way around, you yelped when you felt hands grab you around the abdomen.  

     "You almost ran into a beam" Loki spoke. Sure enough, when you looked up, you noticed you were only a few inches away from slamming your face into a large support beam.  

     "Thank you" you mumbled, slightly embarrassed by your actions. At least when you lived alone at the cabin, it was only wild animals who would see you make a fool out of yourself.  

     "Over here" Steve beckoned your over to an opened door. "You can stay in here, Loki is right across the hall from you if you need anything". You thanked Steve and watched him leave, wondering if Loki was going to allow you some quiet time. You walked into the room, it was about the size of a small apartment with very basic necessities. You would fix the aesthetics later, now the bed seemed to be calling you in.  

     "The door stays opened" Loki's voice brought you out of your own head and you whipped around.  

     "What?" You asked, wondering if you had heard him correctly.  

     "The door stays opened" he told you, grabbing the door to make sure you understood. "That way I can hear if anything happens, unless you want me staying in here with you". You wanted to hit him, but you were too tired for that or an argument.  

     "Fine, whatever. I'm going to bed".  


	4. Chapter 4

     You tossed and turned in the bed. It was larger than you were used to and far more extravagant that your bed back at the cabin. At the mere thought of your cabin, you began to feel home sick. You looked around the room, everything was so foreign. Instead of getting used to it, you decided you would bring stuff back from your cabin. Surely, no one would notice if you use your magic to teleport out for a bit, you would be back before anyone woke up. 

     That was all you needed, you decided to go for it. It would only take a moment to pack everything up, magic was definitely a wonderfully thing. You didn't move off the bed to teleport, you were afraid any noise would notify Loki that you had gone. 

     You landed on the couch in your living room. Everything looked the same as you had left it. You held your hands out and let the magic get to work. Slowly your belongings began moving, packing them into cardboard boxes that were appearing around the rooms. All your books were upstairs, those would take the longest to pack, there was so many of them. 

     "Thought you could slip away from me, huh?" Loki's voice caught you by surprise and your magic dropped. Causing a bunch of things to crash to the ground. The largest thump came from your small room upstairs as books fell to the floor. You turned around to see an angry Loki with his arms crossed. The look made you feel like a child again, being scolded by a disappointed parent. 

     "I just wanted to pack my things, I would have been back in a moment. You weren't supposed to notice" you try and explain. He sighs and rolls his eyes. 

     "You really don't know how this life debt thing works, do you?" You shook your head, opting not to say anything in fear of making him angrier. He sat down opposite of you on the chair. "Continue packing and I will explain the best I can". 

     "Are you sure?" You asked and he nodded. You let the magic begin again, your belongings began picking themselves up off the floor and landing in boxes. 

     "Impressive" Loki mused as you tried to hide a blush, luckily, he didn't seem to notice. "So, the way a life debt works, as far as I have seen anyway, is through the magic of souls. Ours are now intertwined until I can repay the debt. Unfortunately, that's the tricky part, the life debt is only removed once the magic decides that the debt has been repaid. I have never seen it end well before" Loki looked at you sadden expression. 

     "I didn't mean for this happen. You were hurt, I just wanted to help" you tell him, a little put off by what the life debt entailed. You had only ever heard it in passing before, never in practice. 

     "I know, and you did, we can make it work" he tried to look reassuring, however it wasn't working. "It won't hurt you" he added. 

     "How did you know that I took off? I thought I was very quiet about it" you asked. The last few important items were being packed away now, almost done. 

     "That’s another part of the magic, when you go too far from me, I will feel it and can track you based on our connection. There's a few other things, when you get hurt, so do I; what you feel, I can feel; and if I fail at protecting you" he paused. 

     "You die" you finished. You remember him telling you that part already. "There must be some way we can break this magic, I will through my books" you told him, a renewed sense of hope flowing over you. 

     "Do what you want, but I don't think you will find anything" he tells you, not as hopeful as you hoped he would be. 

     "Never say never!"

***

     Loki went back to sleep once you made it back to the Tower, still not allowing you to shut your door. You didn't understand why, he had magic, he didn't need to run in. You weren't going to argue with him about it though. The boxes were piled up around the room, this part you liked doing by hand. You opened the first box and began finding places for the small amount of stuff you owned. 

     By the time Loki woke up again, it was light out and he had decided to go check on you. He found you in the middle of the floor, boxes half empty and books littered the floor. You surrounded yourself with piles of them, he wasn't sure what you were doing but apparently you had given up on unpacking. 

     "Did you sleep at all?" Was the first question he asked. He noticed a cup of dark liquid next to you. You reached for it without taking your eyes from the page, fumbled with it, and took a drink. 

     "No, not yet, I will before morning though" you said without turning around to look at him. He starred at you for a moment. 

     "It's morning now" he tells you. All you managed was a quiet 'oh' but you still didn't look away from the book. He must have underestimated your determination last night when you said you would find a way to break the life debt. This wasn't good either, you needed sleep. 

     "I will bring you some breakfast", he settles on this instead of arguing with you. He wasn't even sure when the last time you ate was so it was a start. He headed downstairs, feeling tired even though he had slept. 

     "You look like hell Reindeer Games; did you sleep at all last night?" Tony asked. The rest of the Avengers were already in the kitchen while Steve cooked breakfast for everyone. 

     "That damn witch is going to be death of me, I slept but she hasn't" Loki grumbled as he took his normal seat. 

     "Where is she, anyway?" Steve asked, setting a plate of food in front of him. He began to pick at it, hoping it would distract him from being tired. 

     "She's determined to find a way to break the life debt. We packed up her things from the cabin last night brought them back to the tower, she seems to think there may be something about it in her books" Loki explained. 

     "It has never been done before" Thor commented and Loki agreed, he knew that but she wasn't willing to listen. 

     "Maybe someone else can try speaking with her later" Steve offered and Loki shrugged his shoulders. 

     "Do whatever you want, just don't hurt her, that would be rather annoying" he tells them. "Oh, can I get another plate for her, I suspect she has not eaten anything yet" Loki asked and Steve nodded. He was handed a plate with a variety of food, since no one knew what she liked yet. Loki stood up, a plate in both hands as he took off. 

     When he got back to your room, you were still in the same position you had been in when he left you. At this rate you were going to be glued to that spot. 

     "I brought you some food" Loki's voice didn't surprise you, you had heard the footsteps coming down the hall. 

     "Thank you" you whispered but made no move to get up and actually take the food from you. He let out an angry groan before marching over to you. He grabbed the book, hauling it out of your hands and shoving the plate in them instead. "What the hell!" The book disappeared in a puff of green smoke and he smile down at your angry form. 

     "You need to eat something, you can have this back when you are done".


	5. Chapter 5

     You sat in your chair, cuddled into a large blanket, pillows and a cup of coffee in your hands. A book rested on your knees, held up so that you could read in a comfortable position. You had been like this all morning, unwilling to move and join the team for breakfast. You were almost done your book, however to your disappointment there was nothing about life debts. You were still determined to read every last word though, just in case. You were enjoying yourself until your door burst open. 

     "Why aren't you downstairs?" Loki asked, looking bewildered by your current state. You had come close to make an actual fort, and now you were kind of wishing you had, at least then you could have hidden from Loki. 

     "I'm not hungry" you told him as you continued to read. Luckily you were a very good multi-tasker and it didn't bother you that he was in your room, starring at you. 

    "But humans have to eat" he insisted. You rolled your eyes as you noticed he came closer to you. You flipped the page, only a few more to go. 

    "Yes, we do, but I don't want to at this moment" you tried again. He was quiet for a while and you were able to get a few more pages in. You were on the last one now, and Loki someone managed to stay quiet enough for you to finish it. When you closed the book, you looked up and noticed Loki had taken a seat on the chair next to you. 

     "So, did you find anything in your book?" Loki asked. You sighed, disappointed in your book, however there were still a couple more you could try. 

     "Not yet, but don't think I'm giving up!" You told him confidently. Your first priority was breaking the life debt, then getting away from the Avenger. That last part was going to need some planning, you thought. 

     "Fine, but at least come downstairs and eat. The team is worried about you and I am growing tired of their questions" Loki told you, getting up and holding out a hand. You starred at it for a moment, not wanting to leave the comforts of your room. You didn't think Loki would give up though so you nodded your head, taking his hand and being helped up from the couch. 

     You grew more nervous as you began hearing voices conversing in the kitchens. You didn't do well with people and you could feel a panic attack coming on. It was a full-blown attack once they spotted you. You tried your best to wrap yourself up in your sweater, trying to look anywhere but Earth's mightiest heroes. 

     "I was starting to think you locked yourself in your room!" Tony announced, he was heading towards you with a cup of coffee. It was too much, you didn't want him too close and the others were staring at you intently. When you thought you would run, Loki stepped in, shoving Tony away from you. 

     "What the hell Reindeer Games!" Tony shouted, causing you to wince. Thor moved beside Tony, holding him back. 

     "What's wrong brother?" Thor asked. Loki now stood in front of you in a protective stance. Thor tried to look around his brother at you, but Loki wasn't letting him. 

     "I'm sorry, but you were scaring her" Loki told Tony, a slight hint of empathy towards Tony and a sad smile. You weren't calming down so Loki turned around and grabbed your hand. You felt the pull of his magic, then you were back in your room. 

     You fell to the floor, head in your hands as you tried to concentrate only on your breathing. In and out, that's all you kept repeating for a while until your breaths regained a rhythm. You felt stupid for panicking in front of them and you hoped Loki had felt. When you looked up though, he was staring at you in confusion. 

     "What was that about? You weren't in any danger" Loki asked, it didn't come out as mean, simply confused. 

     "I'm sorry, I'm just not good around people" you told him. It didn't seem like it was enough for him because he continued to stare down at you. "I spent the last 500 years alone, all by myself. It was too dangerous for me to get close to people; it seems that the habit is hard to break" you told him meekly. 

     "I see" he sat down in front of you. "But you saved my life without issue" he was trying to understand and that made you smile. 

     "I wasn't scared" you shrugged. "Maybe it’s the adrenaline or I'm just more comfortable in a battlefield, I'm not sure" you told him. "It's hard to explain, it will just take me awhile to get use to people again, I think" you told him. 

     "Okay, stay here and I will bring you some breakfast" Loki told you before disappearing, leaving you alone in your room to calm down. 

     Loki appeared in front of the Avengers who all held worried looks to their faces. He imagined that they blamed themselves, he knew he did. He should have known you weren't going to be comfortable right away, hell, you fainted the first time you met them. 

     "What did we do?" Wanda asked, a hurt expression evident. He wasn't sure what to tell them, it wasn't exactly their fault but he also didn't really understand it. 

     "She seems to be nervous around people, I think everyone at once is too much for her" Loki explained, it was the best he could do. 

     "Well maybe we should just try getting to know her one on one, we can each take turns" Steve suggested. Loki hadn't thought about that, and to be honest, he wasn't sure it would work. 

     "Worth a shot, I suppose" Loki agreed. The others nodded as he went to grab something from the kitchen counter where all the food was. He loaded up a plate and started back upstairs. He found you, still on the floor, only now with a book in hand. "I have never met someone who can read as much as myself" Loki grinned, placing the food in front of you. 

     "Books are good company" you explained as he sat down. You closed the book, if a little unwillingly, and picked up the plate. You picked at it, putting only small pieces into your mouth. 

     "So, the others have an idea" Loki started. You stopped and looked at him, worried about what they may have thought of. "Since all of them at once seems to be too much for you, Steve was thinking that you could get to know the team individually" he explained. 

     You nodded your head, unsure of what to say. You hadn't planned on getting to know any of them, it would certainly make it harder to leave once the debt was broken. It may seem suspicious if you didn't try. Might as well give in. 

     "Alright, that could work".


	6. Chapter 6

_You were being chased. You tried to run, but every time you pushed yourself to go faster, you slowed down. You felt the panic in your rise as they got closer. The black robes began to engulf you and you couldn't_ _breathe_ _._

_"Die you witch!" One of the voices shouted. You kept trying to breath but you couldn't all you_ _could_ _see was black._

     "(Y/N)! Wake up, you're having a nightmare!" Loki was trying to break you out of your panicked state. You were no longer breathing and he could feel himself being suffocated. Suddenly, you let out a scream and your eyes shot up. Loki grabbed you quickly, rubbing circles on your back as you tried to get away. 

     "Where am I?" You asked as you tried to push away from him. He wasn't letting you go through as he continued to hold you tight. You could smell him, lemongrass and mint, it was calming. Once you calmed a bit, Loki pulled away so you could see him but still kept a firm grip on you. 

     "It’s alright, you just had a nightmare, you're okay now" he told you. You nodded your head, trying to piece together the night. Looking around the room, you recognized your books and the boxes they were still in. You remembered moving into the Avengers tower, even though it had been a bad idea. Then you remembered Loki and the life debt. 

     "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bother you" you told him. Your voice was a little hoarse and your throat was sore. He moved onto your bed, his arm still wrapped around you and leaned you into him as he laid down. 

     "It's alright, did you want to speak about the nightmare?" Loki asked. You pushed your head into his chest, not wanting to deal with the images now going through your mind. 

     "Not really" you mumbled. You felt comfortable around Loki but you couldn’t talk about the things that haunted you, it was one of the main reasons you had to get away from them. They were only going to be in trouble if you stayed. 

     "Alright then, but you should get some rest. I will stay if you want me to" Loki told you. You contemplated it for a moment. You wanted nothing more than to cuddle up next to him and let yourself fall into a peaceful sleep, but you were already getting too close to him. He felt safe, you couldn't blame yourself for wanting that, but you couldn't have it. Your eyes shot open and you pushed yourself off of him and away from the bed. 

     "I think I am just going to go for a run in the gym" you told him before disappearing from the room. You landed in the gym with a huff, mentally cursing yourself. He was the God of Lies, so lying wasn't going to work and running away from him was only going to work for a short time. Eventually, he was going to ask what was going on. 

     You looked at the clock, just after three am. You were tired and you wanted to go back to sleep, but the visions from your nightmares weren't going to let you relax. You let your magic change you into running clothes and started the treadmill. Might as well get this day over with, you thought. 

***

     You sat in your room with a book in your hand. Loki hadn't been back to check on you the rest of the day, not even to bug you to eat. You assumed he knew that you ate after the gym though, since he usually felt hungry when you didn’t eat. Just as you had been thinking about him, the door opened and for a brief moment of panic, you wonder who it could be. Once you see the raven hair, you relax. 

     "I haven't seen you all day, just checking in" Loki says, as if he didn't already know that you were fine and alive. You would assume there would be some sort of consequences for him if you weren't. 

     "Yes, I'm fine" you tell him as you put the book down. He sits down next to you, keeping a fair distance as if he isn't sure of how you'll react. 

     "You said you would try and meet the team, Steve is wondering if today is okay?" Loki asked and you cringed. You really did not want to do that, but Loki was right, you said you would. Besides, Steve was definitely a nice man, you had nothing to worry about, right?

     "You'll be with us?" You asked Loki. For some reason, Loki had become your security blanket, there didn't seem to be any point in trying to run away from that fact. 

     "If you think it will help" he answers and you nod. 

     "Fine then, where to?" You asked, getting up. You looked at yourself quickly, you had changed into your pajamas when you got back to your room this morning. You waved your hand to change into yoga pants and a large sweater. 

     "He is in the training area, don't worry, the others are all busy right now" Loki explained. You nodded and took his hand, letting him use his magic to get you there. You held onto Loki even as the magic left you and you were standing in the large training room next to the gym. Steve was punching a large bag but stopped when he noticed you. 

     “I’m glad you decided to meet me” Steve smiled. You smiled back, a little less panicked than you assumed you would be. Loki took this as a good sign and stepped away from you a little. You let his arm fall from your grasp. 

     “Well Loki keeps telling me that I can’t stay locked in my room forever” you quipped, a slight laugh in your tone. Steve lets out a hearty laugh. 

     “I don’t blame him; the tower is nice once you get used to it. We have everything here you could ever need” Steve told you. There was a silence for a moment while you tried to think of something to say. You cursed yourself for being so awkward. “So, Loki tells me that you may be more comfortable in fighting than you are conversing, why don’t we spar?” Steve asked. 

     “Sure” you say meekly. You look around for Loki, suddenly worried that he wasn’t right next to you. 

     “I’m right here, my little witch” Loki’s voice drew you over to him. He was sitting at the end of the room, arms folding in front of his chest watching you. You smiled and nodded, turning back to Steve. 

     “Ready?” He asked. You slowly nodded your head, unsure of how this was supposed to start. You had lots of fighting experience, but not so much in a practiced setting. Steve lunged at you and instinct took over, for that you were thankful. You were dodging most of his hits, only sticking back when you knew it would suit you. “So, where are you from?” Steve asked.

      “I was born in Pompeii” you told him, dodging another hit before jumping to avoid his kick. You had to admit, this was feeling good. Your energy levels were picking up and you were beginning to enjoy yourself. 

      “But that would make you-” Steve was cut off by a punch to his stomach. 

     “Really old, yes I know” you finished for him. He recovered quicker than you would have liked and was back at you. “Where did you grow up?” You asked, you already knew the answer after having researched the team, but you didn’t think that conversation would go over too well. 

     “Brooklyn” he says as you duck, just barely missing his punch. As much as you were enjoying this, you were getting tired. Your lungs burned and your muscles ached, it had been too long since you had done this. 

     “I think that’s enough” Loki’s voice bellowed out and Steve stopped in his tracks. You huffed, clutching your knees as you tried to regain your breath. 

     “You should have told me you were getting tired’ Steve said, he didn’t sound disappointed but you felt like you let him down somehow. 

     “Sorry, but I was enjoying myself” you told him with a pained smiled. HE smiled back and nodded. 

     “Well I’m glad, we should make this a regular thing, maybe 3 times a week?” He asked and you nodded, giving him a thumbs up. 

     “Come on, my little witch, we should get you rested up” Loki told you. He didn’t wait for a response, simply picked you brought you back to your room. He placed you on your bed, fully changed into comfortable pajamas and your hair out of your face. He pulled the blanket over you and went to leave. 

     “Wait” you called out. He stopped at the door and turned around. You shifted nervously in the bed, fiddling with the blanket. “Can you stay with me again?” You asked. You didn’t want to have another nightmare, maybe Loki could help. He smiled at you. 

     “Of course, I will stay with you, move over” he smirked. You moved closer to the wall, letting him get into the bed. Once he was settled, you curled up on the pillow, facing Loki. “So, where is this home town of yours?” You looked away from his face, a saddened for a moment. 

     “It was destroyed long ago, it no longer exists” you told him. 

     “That’s good bad, I would have loved to see it” he tells you. You conjure him a book and hand it over to him. 

     “This is the closest you’ll get now, I’m afraid” you told him. He took the book and opened it to start reading. He paused for a moment before looking back at you. 

     “You don’t mind if I read, do you?” He asked and you shook your head. 

     “Of course not, silly” you laughed. He smiled and went back to reading. You watching him for a moment before turning around and closing your eyes, hoping for a good night's rest for once. 


	7. Chapter 7

     You groaned, you realized you were very sore so you tried stretch but your arms met a body. You stilled for a moment, before remembering that Loki had stayed the night with you. You let out a sigh of relief and tried to turn around, but Loki brought you in closer to his body. Your eyes widened as his hips and morning erection pressed into you. 

     You weren’t sure what to do, did you wake him up or just try and get out of his grasp? You decided on the later option. You tried to wiggle out but only managed to wiggle your butt on him. You cursed yourself when you heard him moan in his sleep. This was some sort of hell you were in, you were sure. 

     You laid your head onto the pillow, trying to think about what to do next when Loki shot up in the bed. He turned to you, turning you around and grabbing your shoulders. 

     “Are you alright?” He asked. Your eyes were wide, you weren’t sure what was happening, but you nodded vigorously. He let out a sigh of relief, “I felt your panic and thought something may have been wrong” he explained. You wondered if this was going to happen every time you panicked, if so, you felt terrible for Loki. 

     “I’m okay” you reassured him. He nodded, running a hand through his black hair. He seemed like he was coming down from a panic attack, so you grabbed his hand. You knew it was your fault, so you cuddled into him, you other hand tracing patterns on his arm. “Thank you for staying with me last night” you told him. 

     “It’s no problem, did you have any more nightmares?” He asked, and you shook your head. He smiled at that. “I’m glad, you seemed very peaceful while I was reading” he told you. 

     “How did you like the book?” You asked, it didn’t have a happy ending, but he may have enjoyed it. After all, you weren’t sure how much Midgardian history Loki knew. 

     “It was well written, but I am sorry that happened to your home. How did you survive?” Loki asked. You noticed he looked calmer the more you spoke with him, so you continued. 

     “My mother was a Seer, she saw the destruction coming. She rounded up what villagers she could as well as myself and my two older brothers and got us out. Unfortunately, my dad was a mortal and didn’t believe in her visions, he died” you told Loki. 

     “I’m sorry to hear that” he responded empathetically but you simply shrugged. 

     “It was a long time ago, honestly, I can barely remember him” you told Loki honestly. “I guess that’s what happens when you live for so long” you smiled half-heartedly. Loki nods along thoughtfully but doesn’t say anything. 

     It was silent for a while, you continued tracing your fingers up and down Loki’s arm. All the while thinking about how close you’ve become to him since saving his life. The thought of that was weighing heavily on you when he suddenly turned and smiled. 

     “Should I fetch us some breakfast?” He asked and you nodded. “I will be right back” he tells you before leaving the room. You stay cuddled on your bed and reach for the Pompeii book you had given him last night. 

_“I will not let you take my children away just because you are_ _superstitious_ _!” Your father yelled. You could easily hear them across the whole house, it wasn’t very soundproof. You packed a small bag that lay on your bed, careful to ensure that you packed your teddy as well._

_Your two brothers were in the other room packing their bags as well. They told you everything was going to be alright, but somehow, you didn’t think that was true._

_“I told you, I am a Seer, I am not being superstitious. I will not allow my children to die because of your stupidity, they still have a long life yet to live” you mother seethed. You closed your eyes and sat on the small bed. Your dress flowed out around you, it was far too big. You used the extra fabric to dab the tears from your eyes._

_“Come on children, we need to go!” She yelled out. You took a deep breath and grabbed your small bag. Your hands were tiny wrapped around it and you needed to use both just to carry it. You met your brothers in the hall and followed along silently as your mother ushered you forward._

_You only took a break once you made it far enough for your magic to keep_ _you safe. Your mother used a bubble to keep the soot out of your lungs and the air clean around you. You paused on top of the hill and watched. Fire spewed into the air and fell upon on your home, and your father._

     “I didn’t know what you wanted so I brought you pancakes and some fruit, hope that’s okay” Loki’s voice broke you out of your memory and you blinked a few times, trying to clear your head. You smiled as he set the tray down next to you and got back in bed. 

     “This is perfect, thank you” you told him, grabbing the steaming hot mug of tea. You took a sip and savored the taste. 

     “So, what did you want to do today? You could try and meet another Avenger, Natasha was pretty excited by the prospect” he offered. “No training though, your muscles are still too sore for that” he added, moving his shoulder a little. 

     "Isn’t it weird being able to feel what I’m feeling?” You asked. It was hard enough just worrying about yourself, you couldn’t imagine having to deal with a whole other person. Loki simply shrugged. 

     “It is rather odd, but I can’t feel everything; mostly just anything that can be thought of as a potential threat. So, aches, pains, hunger, panicking, hurt, sad, anything like that. Unfortunately, I don’t get the good side unless it’s a very strong feeling” Loki explains. 

     “Well that doesn’t sound like any fun” you told him and he snickered. 

     “No, it does not” he agreed. “Will you be up to spending some time with Natasha today or shall I tell her no?” Loki asked. You thought about it for a few moments. 

     “Fine, I think I can handle that” you told him. Loki smiled and squeezed your hand. 

     “I will protect you the entire time, no need to fret” he told you. You nodded and took a few pieces of fruit, enjoying the breakfast before you had to deal with the day ahead of you. 

***

     Loki had finally managed to convince you to leave your room. After a long shower and drying your hair, you agreed. He was bringing you downstairs, further than the gym and training room though. You didn’t think you had been to this part of the tower yet. 

     He brought you to a door, looking back to make sure you were still alright. You smiled and nodded at him. Besides the odd area, you still felt safe with Loki and you trusted him. Although, you had to wonder if you would have still trusted him if it hadn’t been for the life debt. You shook the thought from your head as he opened the door. 

     You walked into the room after Loki, taking a look around. The room was filled with different weapons, each wall dedicated to a different type. You took in all the sharp objects, eyes wide and turned to Loki. 

     “Is she planning on killing me?” You whispered into his ear, unsure of where Natasha actually was in the room. He laughed and shook his head. 

     “No, of course not. The Black Widow just has an affinity for weapons” he responded. You nodded, almost not believing him. 

     “Ah there you are, I didn’t think you were going to make it” Natasha’s voice made you jump around. She was smiling at you, a knife in her hand. You had seen what the woman was able to do with a knife and the thought made you nervous. 

     “It’s alright, no one is going to hurt you” Loki’s voice made you jump but he was quick to grab you and pull you to his side. “Sorry, she’s just a little nervous with all the weapons around” Loki explained for you. Natasha nodded in understanding. 

     “There’s no reason to worry, most of these are collectibles and never even come off the wall. Come, I will show you some of the nicer ones and if you want, I can even teach you to use some of them” she told you. Loki pushed you forward further into the room. 

     Natasha showed you different types of swords from all around the world. She even managed to get you interested in them by talking about their history. Loki was pleasantly surprised when you left his side and excitedly started asking about other weapons. For all the years you had been on this Earth, some things still managed to surprise you, Natasha’s weapons were definitely one of those things. 

     You were playing around with a katana, the other two staying well away from you as Natasha called out instructed. You smiled when you stopped, simply admiring the blade and the ease of movement it had. 

     “Even I could become a deadly weapon with this sword, as long as I didn’t maim myself I suppose” you laughed. 

     “You’re cute” Natasha commented. Your cheeks turned red as you turned around to put the sword back on the wall. 

     “Watch it Black Widow” Loki growled. His tone of voice took you by surprise, you hadn’t panicked, so why was he worried?

     “What? It’s just a little harmless flirting, she’s fine” Natasha smirked. Loki glared at her but said nothing. 

     “It’s never just flirting with you” Loki scolded. Natasha rolled her eyes and went to the wall, getting two swords down, you were unsure of the type. She threw one towards Loki, he caught it without even blinking. 

     “Why don’t we show her what some of these blades can do in action?” Natasha asked. 

     “Gladly” Loki answered, a mischievous gleam in his eye. He took your hand and pulled you to the side where there was a small bench. “Stay here” he told you with a squeeze of your hand. You nodded and got comfortable. You watched as they started to fight, you had seen the Avenger fight before but you had never seen them train. It seemed almost as brutal as an actually fight, neither of them was holding back. 

     They trained for a while, calling out to you every now and again to show you a move or explain something. You drank in the knowledge; you had always been good at magic but hand to hand combat was a whole other issue. You had always been far too clumsy for weapons, so you relied solely on magic. 

     Loki twirled around, grabbing Natasha’s arm and hauling her to the floor. The pointed tip of the blade was pressed against her neck in seconds. Loki smirked, his victory evident. 

     “Do you yield?” Natasha rolled her eyes and Loki pressed the blade a little further, but not enough to draw blood. 

     “Fine!” Natasha yelled out, annoyed. “I yield”, she finished. Loki smiled and removed the blade from her throat, holding out a hand to help her from the ground. She took it and jumped up from the ground. She dusted herself and smiled at you. “You’re started to train with Steve this week, right?” She asked and you nodded your head. “You should come here the other two days and start training with weapons. If you want of course”. 

     “I don’t know, I think I am too clumsy for weapons, I wouldn’t want to hurt anyone” you told her. She scoffed and waved you off. 

     “Nonsense, I can handle it. We’ll start with something easy” she told you. You looked at Loki who only shrugged, you knew it wasn’t his decision but it would have made you feel better if he gave a slight indication of his opinion on the matter. 

     “I suppose that would be okay then” you answered and Natasha’s face lit up. You suppose there wasn’t many people for her to train, all the Avengers were already well trained. 

     “Come on, let’s get you something to eat” Loki placed his hand on your lower back and ushered you towards the door. You missed the glare he sent back at Natasha as you walked back towards your room. Once there, you plopped down on your bed. “What would you like to eat?” 

     “Grilled cheese” you mumbled into the blanket. You turned around and saw the confusion on his face. 

     “I am not certain what that is” he stated. You laughed and sat up on the bed. With a wave of your hand, you had two plates in front of you with a grilled cheese on them. 

     “Here” you passed one to him. “Definitely not a healthy food but it’s good” you told him. You could see the hesitation as he took his first bite. “What do you think?” 

     “Not terrible, but not the best thing I’ve never tasted” he told you and you smiled. You grabbed his shoulder and pushed him back against your headboard. You snuggled in beside him to eat. 

     “That's good enough then”.


	8. Chapter 8

    You woke up and looked around, the room was still dark, the clock closest to your bed told you that it was the middle of the night. Loki slept soundly beside you, unaware that you had woken up yet. You weren’t sure how long it would take him to realize you were awake, but as long as you stayed calm, you hoped he would sleep through the night. 

     You swung your legs around, your feet touching the cold floor. You sighed, dressed in just a pajama shorts and a tank top, you considered just staying in the warm bed. That would be futile however, you weren’t going to fall back asleep. 

     Instead, you summoned a nice fluffy robe and fluffy slippers, enjoying the warmth they provided as you got out of bed. You took one last look as a peaceful Loki before you quietly snuck out of the door, closing it behind you. 

     This was the time you enjoyed wandering around the compound, it was quiet and no one was around to ask you invasive questions or send you into a panic attack. You strolled down to Tony’s lab, looking around at the mess he had left when he finally decided it was time to get some sleep. You picked at the tech, slowly figuring out what he was trying to do. 

     Next thing you knew, you were on the floor putting parts of his suit back together and making a few adjustments on the way. You had been around when people began to use technology, you had saw that this was the future, and you learned everything you could. 

     With that knowledge, it was easy to see where Tony had been going with this project. A few of the components were slightly mismatched, so you looked around, salvaging other parts from forgotten projects. Within an hour, you had a fully functioning blaster on your hands that would easily attach to Stark’s Iron Man suit. Not that you could test it out; for one it would wake up the entire tower and two, Tony’s suits were locked away. 

     Sure, you could easily bypass his security but you were feeling like a cup of tea now after a job well done. You placed the blaster back where you had found all the parts and cleaned up the rest of the tools. The lab now looks a lot better than it had when you walked in. 

     You smiled to yourself as you walked out of the lab, heading towards the kitchen with the goal of getting yourself a tea and relaxing a bit before the tower woke up. Your slippers made little noise on the floor as you padded your way through. 

     Once in the kitchen, it didn’t take you long to realize that you weren’t alone anymore. In the dark, you could vaguely see the outline of a person sitting at the table. When the light of the moon hit his metal arm, making it shine out, you knew it was Bucky. 

     “I can go, if that would make you more comfortable” Bucky stated, he must have noticed you even in the dark as well. You summoned a candle to the table, lighting up his tired face. 

     “It’s okay, I just wanted to get a tea” you told him. He nodded his head as you carefully walked further into the kitchen. He watched you carefully, as you did him, both weary of the other. You calmed yourself though, not wanting to wake Loki up with your unnecessary panicking, it was just one man after all, magic could easily defend you. 

     “Couldn’t sleep either?” He asked you. The bags under his eyes had told you that he hadn’t slept in awhile. 

     “No, I don’t sleep well most nights” you admitted. 

     “Me either” he added. You nodded as the water started to boil. You grabbed two cups and added a teabag of chamomile tea to both cups; filling them up. You placed one in front of Bucky as you sat opposite to him, holding your cup of tea for the warmth it provided. He mumbled a thank you and stared down into it. 

     “Did you want to talk about why you can’t sleep?” You asked mostly because you didn't know what else to say. You would feel terrible if you just left him here, but at the same time, you really didn’t want to make small talk either. 

     “Do you?” He snapped at you and it took everything in your power not to jump and run away from the soldier. “Sorry, that was mean” he apologized. 

     “It’s okay” you mumbled. 

     “No, it’s not” he sighed. “You’re new and I shouldn’t be snapping at you like that, especially since you seem so skittish around people”. You didn’t say anything, only took a sip of your tea. He took a deep breath and looked up at you. “I still struggle with what Hydra did to me, nights are the worse and I’m afraid that I may attack or kill someone I care about” he admitted to you. 

     You nodded your head in understanding, Bucky had been doing well since you had been watching the Avengers, but there was a long way for him to go. 

     “I can help you sleep” you told him. You raised your hand as a few white lights danced around your fingers as you smiled. “Magic can be a wonderful thing” you told him. 

     “I don’t think I trust magic” Bucky admitted, you didn’t blame him for his hesitance. The Avengers had seen a lot of weird, mostly bad things in their day, but very little good. 

     “I understand, but magic does have a good side. I struggled with it for years, thinking I shouldn’t use my powers because they were evil; but their not because I’m not evil” you told him. He then did something unexpected, he smiled. 

     “You definitely don’t seem evil” he agreed and you couldn’t help but let out a little laugh. You let the lights die out, taking another sip of your tea. “Maybe not tonight though, it’s almost morning and I am feeling like a run” Bucky told you. 

     “A run does sound nice. It’s been awhile since I’ve been on a run, what with locking myself in my room and whatnot” you laughed, Bucky did too. 

     “Why don’t you come with me?” Bucky asked, a little timidly. He was afraid he was being too forward but she thought about it. “Loki can come too” he added, knowing that helped calm you down. 

     “On one condition” you told him and he nodded, waiting for you to elaborate. “I choose where we go for a run”, he quickly agreed. You got up from the chair, your workout clothes shimmering into place. You noticed that Bucky was already dressed and you held out your hand. 

     “Are you going to get Loki?” Bucky asked, looking at your outstretched hand a little warily. 

     “Loki has what is equivalent to a GPS tracker on me, trust me, as soon as my heart rate gets up, he will be right there” you told him, but he still didn’t take your hand. “We’re using magic to get to the trail, take my hand” you told him. 

     Slowly, he outstretched his hand, barely touching yours. You could tell he was nervous and you waited for him to fully grasp your hand, not wanting to cause him to panic, you knew how much that sucked. Once he did, he nodded his head to give you the okay and you landed in a forest at the break of day. 

     “Wow, I didn’t feel anything” Bucky’s amazement was evident. 

     “That’s because I’ve had a lot of practice, I have honed my abilities” you took pride in your magic, it was the one thing you were very good at. Sure, you may not be able to go into crowds, or assert yourself without having a panic attack, or really do much without having a panic attack; but you were damn good at magic. 

     “So, ready to run?” Bucky asked, a small smirk on his face. You didn’t respond, instead you got a head start on him. “Hey, not fair!” You heard him yell out behind you as he ran to catch up. You took large breaths of air, relishing in the smell of the forest. You missed this being in Stark Tower, you missed sitting outside with a good book and a cup of tea first thing in the morning. 

     Your thoughts were so all-consuming that you ended up running into a chiseled, naked chest, causing you to bounce off and onto the ground. You heard Bucky curse and halt his running as you felt his arm underneath you, picking you up. 

     “What’s going on?” Loki asked. You rubbed your head, a little sore from where you hit it. Loki showed no sign of sharing your pain, or he was just good at hiding it. 

     “You could give a girl some warning next time” you mumbled. 

     “I woke up and you weren’t there, I thought you were in trouble” Loki’s face cracked, you could see the sadness there but you weren’t sure why. 

     “Sorry, I couldn’t sleep and Bucky wanted to go for a run” you told him. His eyes flickered from you to Bucky, the sadness quickly turned to anger. 

     “Fine, I will leave you too it then” Loki said as he turned to leave but you grabbed his hand, making him stay. 

     “Now that you’re here, stay and run with us, it’s good exercise!” You excitedly told him. His angry demeanor cracked as he watched your excitement. He hadn’t seen you this happy without a book in your lap, well, ever. 

     “Fine” he sighed, his pajama pants shimmered into workout clothes. Bucky nodded at him, telling you both that he was okay with the company and the three of you took off, enjoying the morning all to yourselves. 


	9. Chapter 9

     Your run had gone late, once you got back to the Tower you realized the rest of the Avengers would be up and having breakfast in the kitchen. Loki was quick to notice your increasing panic and grabbed your hand, stopping you before you would walk into the Tower. 

     “We can use magic to get you back to your room” he told you. Bucky stopped and turned around when he noticed that neither of you were following him. 

     “Are you okay?” Bucky asked, ignoring the glare that Loki sent him. 

     “She’s fine, soldier” Loki growled out. You smiled at both of them, your fingernails digging into the palm of your hand to try and calm yourself. You squeeze your other hand around Loki’s out of a newly formed habit. 

     “I’m fine, I should try and see them all but maybe after a shower” you sheepishly told them. You were very sweaty and tired, a cold shower would be nice. Loki smiled and nodded at you.

     “It’s up to you darling, you don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do”, Loki was worried, you could tell. He had every reason to be worried about you, the last time you seen them all together, you almost passed out, and the time before, you did pass out. That couldn’t have been easy on Loki, with the life debt and all. 

     “I’ll be there for you too, if that helps” Bucky offered, backing away slightly from Loki’s glare. You laughed it off, trying to ease the tension between the two. You silently wondered if they had always been like this with each other, had they always been so irritated around each other?

     “Thank you both. I will clean up and then see how I feel” you told them before disappearing back to your room and leaving Bucky and Loki alone. Loki stood still for a moment, still glaring at Bucky and wondering what to say before he sighed. 

     “We should give the others a warning, just in case she decides to try and come down to breakfast”. Bucky nodded in agreement, both of them heading into the compound together. They were silent as they walked to the elevator, rode in silence and exited together into the kitchen area. 

     “What’s going on? You two aren’t yelling at each other, it’s unsettling” Steve told them suspiciously as they walked in together, the rest of the Avengers looking at them oddly as well. 

     “Loki, what have you done?” Thor asked gravely. Loki rolled his eyes and Bucky silenced a chuckle that was forming. They hadn’t settled in well to the Avengers Tower, both of them having their own issues, which led to uncomfortable confrontations between the two. 

     “Why do you assume I did something?” Loki asked, trying to act offended. In truth, he didn’t really care. “Listen, I didn’t do anything, Bucky and I were just out for a run with (Y/N) and she’s thinking about coming down for breakfast”. 

     “We thought it was best to give you some warning, try and act normal but quiet” Bucky told them, pushing past Loki and heading into the kitchen to grab something to eat. Loki didn’t say anything else, instead he opted to disappear and clean up himself before you were ready. 

***

     You let the water run over while you thought about what to do. Eventually, you would have to suck it up and go talk to the Avengers. It went over well with Steve and Natasha, and Bucky seemed nice, you assumed the rest were as well. The nagging at the back of your mind was still bugging you, telling you to distance yourself from them. 

     You shook your head, you couldn’t think about any of that now. Instead, you turned off the water and grabbed a towel, wrapping yourself up in it and leaving the bathroom to try and find some clothes. You still had a hard time clearing your mind, your worries taking over any rational thinking at this point. 

     You were so wrapped up in your thoughts that you didn’t notice the other presence in the room until it was too late and hands wrapped around your neck. Your eyes widened and your pulse quickened as you tried to get away. Your breathing was cut off, being unable to call out for Loki made you panic more but Loki’s life debt did the calling for you. 

     Soon you were knocked down as Loki wrestled with the intruder. You coughed as you struggled to breath in, getting as much air in as you could. Loki quickly stabbed the intruder in the side, letting his dagger disappear as the man fell. He took this time to look to you but the man was pulling a gun before Loki could turn back around. 

     “No!” You yelled out, your hand rising before you could think and you sent the man flying out of your window to the ground and to his death. You let out a quiet sob as you realized what you had done and Loki gathered you up in his arms. 

     Loki stroked your hair, giving you silent encouragements, telling you that you did the right thing but it was all falling on deaf ears. You pushed your face into his neck, breathing in his scent to try and focus on anything else. You heard footsteps rushing to your room and you pushed yourself further into Loki. 

     “Are we under attack?” Steve asked, stopping everyone before they could get to your door. Bucky pushed past him though and entered the room. He took in the sobbing witch and the God of Mischief trying to comfort you, then the broken window. 

     “I think it’s safe now” Bucky told the other and Loki nodded. 

     “The man should have landed just outside the tower, can someone take care of it?” He asked and a few Avengers nodded, taking off outside to handle the situation before it could get worse. Bucky, Steve, Thor and Tony stayed behind, each being as quiet as possible as they came into the room. 

     You noticed their presence, but didn’t move. Loki’s hands shifted, although he didn’t let go of you, he wasn’t hugging you as tightly either. 

     “I need to see your neck, little witch”, he voice was almost a whisper as he spoke to you. You assumed he was scared to be too loud, he didn’t want to push you over the edge. You took in a deep breath and nodded, slowly moving around so he could see your neck. Your hands kept a good grip on him however as your eyes darted between the Avengers. 

     You hissed when Loki touched your neck, the skin was raw and red from the man squeezing so tightly. You could see Loki’s hurt, he was in physical pain as well as emotional pain, he didn’t like seeing you like this. His hand slowly shifted to blue, but you didn’t question it as he placed it around your neck. The cooling sensation made you cease your sobbing and relax slightly. 

     “What happened?” Bucky asked, bending down and getting on your level. His voice was quiet too, and now you wished everyone would stop trying to whisper around you as if a normal tone of voice would send you into hysterics. 

     “She was attacked, that’s what happened, and she defended herself” Loki snapped. Bucky glared at Loki, but his eyes softened as soon as they looked back to you. 

     “A witch finder” you managed to hiss out, talking hurt though. 

     “Hush little witch, your throat is too sore to be talking right now, you need your rest. Everything can be explained later” Loki told you. Loki wrapped his arm under your legs and picked you up. While you weren't looking, he motioned the others to the door, they took the hint. 

     Loki gently set you down on the bed, quickly taking the blankets and tucking you in. He kissed the top of your head and you were out like a light. Loki felt bad about using magic on you, but he knew you needed rest and that you wouldn’t rest easily without magic. He gave you one last look before meeting with the others downstairs. 

     “We sent the body to Fury, they’ll tell us what they can find out” Steve announced once Loki walked in. 

     “Good, I want to know everything and if there will be more of them coming after her” Loki paced back and forth, obviously agitated by the whole thing. 

     “Does anyone know what a Witch Finder is?” Bucky asked, he had just barely been able to make out what you had said upstairs. 

     “I’m assuming it’s someone who finds witches” Clint announced. 

     “Ha, very funny” Bucky glared. “Who are they? Where did they come from and what the hell do they want with (Y/N)?” Bucky clarified. 

     “I fear that’s something we’ll have to ask her when she wakes up” Loki replied, unhappy about the idea. 

     “Speaking of (Y/N), does anyone know how she fixed my sonic blaster?” Tony asked suddenly, everyone stopped and looked over. “Last night she was in the lab, I have it on tape, she just cleaned and fixed my blaster” he told them. 

     “You’ve been stuck on that thing for weeks” Bruce added. 

     “I know, the witch is a bonafide genius, and we didn’t know. What else is she hiding?” Tony asked and Loki glared at him, stepping closer to him menacingly. 

      “If she is hiding something, it is only because she does not feel safe here”. The tension in the room rose as Loki starred threateningly at Tony. 

     “I didn’t mean it that way, Reindeer Games, I don’t think she’s evil” Tony told him firmly. “I’m just curious as to any other talents she has, she could be of great use to the team, if we ever get her to trust us of course” Tony added. 

      “Everyone calm down, we’ll talk to her once she’s feeling up to it” Wanda spoke up. “It’s her life and her story to tell, no sense arguing about it” she scolded. Everyone slowly agreed. 

     “I have to go, she’s having a nightmare” Loki spoke right before disappearing. He was back in your room quickly as you gripped the pillow, your eyes shut in agony. He was quick to jump in the bed beside you, his arms wrapping you up and bringing you closer to his cool body. He moved the hair from your face and leaned in to whisper into your ear.

     “Relax, I’m here. I won’t let anything bad happen to you”. 


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for everyone who left kudos and a comment, I really appreciate all your support!  
> I hope you continue to like this fic as I update :)

     You turned around in bed, trying to ignore the aching pain that radiates around your throat and down into your chest. You expected to make contact with Loki’s cool chest, he had been staying in your room more and more lately, but the bed was empty this morning. Your eyes opened and you looked around, the room was clean and the window was fixed, the only reminder of what happened was the bruise around your neck. 

     You sighed, you hadn’t meant to kill the witch finder. Your worry over Loki’s safety had been all-consumer, you hadn’t thought it through before using your magic to save him. At least Loki was safe, that’s what was important. It just needed to stay that way, however you hadn’t found anything that could break the life debt yet and you were running out of time. If a witch finder had managed to track you down, it was only a matter of time before others did as well. 

     You shook that thought from your head and pushed the blankets off of your body, shivering slightly when the cool air hit your skin. You rubbed the sleep from your eyes and let your magic get to work, once your hair was up and you were dressed, you slowly made your way downstairs. 

     Following the voices wasn’t hard, it seemed like all the Avengers had congregated in the living room, you ran into no one on your way there. 

     “Fury got back to us, the man’s identity came back as Michael Black, an orphan who was recruited into a cult known as the Order of Salvation”, Steve’s voice was easy to pick out. 

     “I’ve heard of them, people from that order have been responsible for upwards of 50 murders just in the last decade but they’ve never been able to take down the whole order, just a few members here and there” Natasha offered. 

     “I’ve heard of them too, Hydra thought pretty highly of them. From what I remember, they specialized in killing the supernatural, I suppose that would mean our resident witch as well” Bucky added on. 

     “Do we know anyone else in this order?” Loki asked, his voice sounded irritated and angry. You wondered how long it took them to gather this information, you didn’t think you had been asleep that long. Or the order had made quite a name for itself in the years of your seclusion. 

     “Fury is going to find out everything he can and send it over, we’ll do everything we can to keep her, and you safe, Loki” Steve stressed that last part. You peaked out from the corner where you were hiding to see Loki nod his head, his eyes closed in concentration. You were too busy focusing on Loki to notice that someone had spotted you. 

     “I think we have some company” Thor told them. Loki followed his brother’s glance to see you just before you hide from him again. You went to run down the hall but instead bumped into Loki who materialized in front of you. 

     “Didn’t anyone ever tell you it’s rude to spy on people?” Loki asked with a large smirk on his face. He must have sensed your panic though and he wrapped you up in a hug and laughed. “I’m joking darling, I am glad to see you’re awake” he told you. 

     “You weren’t there when I woke up”, it was a fact, you weren’t sure why you were telling him since he was well aware. 

     “Sorry, I was eager to know what we were dealing with”. You didn’t blame him, you would have been just as eager to protect people. 

     “You could have asked me when I woke up”. 

     “Would you have told me the truth?” He asked in a playful tone. You tried not to look at him, but there wasn’t much else to focus your gaze on. Instead, you fiddled with your fingers. 

     “Probably not” you admitted. His thumb trailed down your cheek and rested on your chin. Gently, he pushed up, making you look at him. 

     “I have grown quite fond of you little witch, I do not wish for anything bad to happen to you. Let us help” he asked and you sighed. You knew you should, the Avengers were able to take care of themselves but that nagging feeling at the back of your mind told you that you shouldn’t. The information could get them killed, hell, your presence alone could get them killed. 

     Loki sensed that he wasn’t winning you over, but he wasn’t going to give up that easily. He leaned down and brushed his lips against yours. Your heart stopped, unsure of what to do. 

     “Do you want me to stop?” He whispered, just loud enough for you to hear. 

     “No”, it was an automatic reply. He kissed you, it wasn’t deep or passionate, just a small cautious kiss. You kissed back, letting your hands rest on his arms as you leaned into him. He pulled away and smiled at you but you instantly looked back down, a blush covering your face. He didn’t seem to mind though and grabbed your hand. 

     “If you’re up for it, we should speak with the others”. You nodded your head and let him lead the way. You were more than happy to simply hide behind Loki, and he didn’t seem to mind taking the protective stance. All eyes were on you and Loki as you entered the room, not an ideal situation for you and every time you thought you may panic, Loki squeeze your hand, bringing you back out of your own head. 

     “How are you feeling?” Steve asked. 

     “Sore” you answered quietly. 

     “That’s to be expected, but your both still alive and I hear that’s thanks to you” Steve smiled at you but you still felt bad for killing the man rather than disarming him. 

     “I didn’t mean to kill him, I was just trying to protect Loki” you told them. Loki ushered you over to the middle of the living room, getting you to sit down with him in a large chair. 

     “You did what you had to do, that man was here to kill you and that would have killed Loki as well; you did nothing wrong” Natasha told you and you quietly nodded. 

     “So, can you tell us why the Order of Salvation is after you?” Bucky asked, he took the seat closest to you and Loki, with Steve sitting down beside him. Once all the Avengers got settled, it didn’t seem as intimidating. It actually felt more like a large family gathering with smiling, kind faces all around you; finally you began to relax slightly. 

     “I don’t know much about the new Order, my first run in with them happened in the 1600’s. Back then they were just called Witch Finders, they traveled from town to town, helping the humans pick out and identify witches. Once this was down they helped the town purify by”

     “Burning people alive” Tony finished for you and you nodded. You felt Loki tense up around you, as if he wanted to protect you from the past. 

     “I had managed to stay off their radar for a long time. I was on my own and didn’t interfere with human affairs but then I got to Salem in the late 1600’s. I couldn’t help but trying to save some of those poor women, they weren’t even witches, just humans. I messed up and got caught, but what I didn’t realize was, they already knew me” you paused for a moment, thinking of the best explanation without giving away too much. There were some things you didn’t want the Avengers knowing about you. 

     “How would they have known that you were a witch?” Clint asked, thoroughly invested in the story at this point. 

     “They caught and tortured several witches who apparently gave up names in hopes for freedom. I don’t know how long they had been hunting me before this but they have definitely been after me ever since. Which is why i secluded myself in the woods, far safer for everyone if I were there alone when they found me again” you finished. 

     “We can protect ourselves, doll” Bucky spoke up. Everyone nodded their heads in agreement, it didn’t seem like they were going to let you go anytime soon. You sighed and leaned your head on Loki. 

     “You should get some more rest but would you be up for coming down for supper?” Steve asked. You looked to Loki and then back at the Avengers who anxiously awaited your response. 

     “Sure, I think that may be nice”. 


End file.
